Military intelligence agency starts investigation after receiving information on espionage earlier this year
One officer sent to military prosecution this spring for leaking codes
Several other military officers under investigation for the same charge
Pawnbrokers collecting codes, no evidence of espionage activities,
, ‘Military officers including 1 officer are found to have leaked codes to pawnbrokers for borrowing money needed for virtual currency investments and cyber gambling. The leaked codes, known as “amgooho,” are classified as Level 3 secrets used by military units daily to distinguish between friend and foe. After a leak incident involving the list of black ops personnel from the military intelligence command, voices calling for a thorough overhaul of military security measures have been raised.’,
,
, ● “Suspicious pawnbrokers collecting codes”,
,
,
, ‘According to a report by the Donga Ilbo on the 22nd, Jeonju District Prosecutors’ Office recently indicted pawnbroker Mr. A on charges of violating military secret protection laws. It was revealed that military personnel approached pawnbrokers requesting loans as a means to verify their military identity, and in the process, leaked the codes to them. Additionally, it was reported that the military intelligence command is investigating several military officers in their 20s and 30s from units in the Chungcheong region on the same charges. ‘,
,
, ‘The investigation into code leaks began earlier this year when the military intelligence agency learned through intelligence activities that pawnbrokers were collecting codes. It was discovered that individuals such as Mr. A would confirm military IDs at commercial banks and then pass on the codes, claiming they were needed. The borrowed money was only provided after confirming that the codes were actually used at the respective military units. ‘,
,
, ‘Amgooho codes are highly secure, requiring immediate disposal if leaked, as they are crucial secrets that, if obtained by North Korean forces or spies, could be used for immediate military breaches.’,
,
, ‘During the investigation process, the military intelligence agency first detected and referred Officer B, who leaked codes to pawnbrokers while borrowing money for virtual currency transactions, to the military prosecution last spring. According to the military court, Officer B was sentenced to 2 years in prison with a 2-year 4-month suspended sentence in May, which was finalized after he dropped the appeal. The swift progression from investigation to prosecution within 5 months is attributed to the severity of the case, as code leaks could potentially lead to unauthorized access or acts of terrorism by adversaries. ‘,
,
, ‘Furthermore, the military intelligence agency reportedly identified other military officers who also divulged codes to pawnbrokers during Officer B’s investigation. They have expanded investigations in collaboration with the Jeonbuk Provincial Police since May and are currently probing multiple military officers. These officers are said to have leaked codes to borrow money for cyber gambling and other activities. ‘,
,
, ● Pawnbrokers have no ulterior motives,
,
, ‘Fortunately, the investigation found no evidence of pawnbrokers having ulterior motives or incidents of breaching military compounds.’,
,
, ‘Despite this, given that code leaks are akin to opening the doors wide to military bases, there are urgent calls for preventive measures to avoid recurrence. A government source mentioned, “Without the initial intelligence and investigation by the military intelligence agency, there was a possibility of espionage agents approaching pawnbrokers if rumors about code collection spread,” stating, “Regardless of spy involvement, having some military officers display lax discipline is problematic.” A Korean Army officer said, “It is hard to believe that codes distributed to each unit on a regular basis were leaked externally,” mentioning, “It is fortunate that the leaked codes were not utilized.” ‘,
,
,